


Minimester

by Fabrisse



Category: Glee
Genre: Dalton - Freeform, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-12
Updated: 2011-02-12
Packaged: 2017-10-15 14:45:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/161860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fabrisse/pseuds/Fabrisse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Blaine and Kurt share a Shakespeare class during Dalton's intensive mini semester.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Minimester

Kurt's introductory computer programming course was going to be a challenge. Their homework for the four weeks was to design and test a simple database for transcripts. They'd been assigned a work partner for the first week, and then the following week, they would combine with another partner group to write the pseudo code. The third week the four boys would code and compile their program, and the fourth week would be testing and grading.

By contrast, the afternoon Shakespeare class was going to be simple -- four weeks, four plays, and four papers. If Kurt was willing to work an extra hour in the afternoons on scenes and scenery for the annual presentation, he could get extra credit, too.

As an added incentive, Blaine was also taking the class. Shakespeare's Works was one of the few minimester classes students were allowed to repeat as Mister Maugham took a different approach every year. Blaine had told him how fascinating taking last year's course, which featured the Roman Works of Shakespeare, had been. He apparently now counted _Coriolanus_ as his favorite play.

This year they would be tackling three comedies and _Romeo and Juliet_ which Kurt assumed would be explained at some point.

On the first afternoon, he walked into the classroom to find his name on a desk in the third row, two seats behind Blaine.

"I have put you in alphabetical order by first name," Mister Maugham said. "Please sit in the same place every day. I will mix you up for scenes, and I will ask you to turn in your requests for roles on Mondays. We'll be covering _Much Ado About Nothing_ first, even though it's not the first play chronologically. Next week is _As You Like It_ , followed by _Romeo and Juliet_. The fourth play will be your choice. We can either go earlier chronologically and look at _Comedy of Errors_. We can approach the more refined world of _Love's Labors Lost_ , or we can go with Shakespeare's last true comedy, _Twelfth Night_. I'll ask you all to vote next Friday. Lastly, this being an all-boys school, I always end up with a full class of Mercutios and no Juliets. Unless one of you volunteers for Juliet in scene pairings, and she is a wonderful role, I will pull names out of a hat for the part. I'll be doing the same for Romeo and Mercutio, for the opposite reason."

Mister Maugham sat behind his desk. "Now then, I expect you've all read the play -- or at least streamed the movie -- in preparation."

***  
By the end of the first class, they'd read through the entire play, switching roles at the end of each act. They would go into more depth on the subsequent days, and at the break of the Monday class, each boy was required to turn in his idea for his weekly paper.

As they left for the day, Mister Maugham called Kurt and Blaine back. "You both want to do a paper on the music of _Much Ado_. Since I assume you'll probably both want to do something similar for _As You Like It_ , I'll let you two tell me in the morning which of you will tackle which play." He stared at them both. "Since you've both signed up for the extra credit, whichever one of you tackles the subject will be responsible for performing the music in the show and in the classroom if I need it." He nodded that he was through, and they left quickly.

"He's right," Kurt said. "I had planned to tackle the music of both plays."

"Me too, but if I have to choose, I think I'd rather do _As You Like It_ , although, there's so much of it, I'd like your help for the performances."

Kurt smiled warmly. "I'd love to help. I know you play guitar, so if you could accompany me on the pieces I've found for _Much Ado_ …"

"I'd love to. Are you going to use Patrick Doyle's settings from the movie?"

"I was, but I found some sheet music from a production composed by Nigel Hess, and I definitely like his 'Pardon Goddess of the Night' better. The 'Sigh No More Ladies' is better for my vocal range, too."

Blaine bumped his shoulder. "If you have the sheet music, let me have it before study hall, and we can run it through afterward."

"I'll get it right now." Kurt frowned, "Don't we have scene work now?"

"Nope, only Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday this week. Probably next week, too. When we get to the end of the minimester, he might increase it to daily. We might have a Saturday rehearsal between _Romeo and Juliet_ and whatever our last play is, too."

"Good. I have to figure out which tables I need in my database tonight, and I should probably get started."

Blaine grinned. "I, on the other hand, have three chapters of Dante to translate. Want to dine with me?"

"Don't we have table assignments?"

"Not during minimester."

***  
Kurt's rendition of the two songs went over well, especially the high F at the end of "Pardon Goddess of the Night."

When they started on _As You Like It_ , Blaine drafted the other two Warblers in the class to be "Forest Lords" with him and Kurt. He wrote and arranged settings for "Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind" and "Come Hither" to take advantage of the four parts he had to work with. He handed the other two the "Hymn to Hymen," and he and Kurt did "Sweet Love" with Blaine taking the lead on "What Shall he have that Killed the Deer."

The discussion of the play mostly highlighted the ideas of the court versus the country, and then on ideas of love. The biggest controversy centered on the idea of "love at first sight." Orlando's and Rosalind's falling in love so quickly provided a great source of debate.

Mister Maugham asked for a show of hands as to how many thought love at first sight was possible. Blaine raised his hand, hoping he wasn't alone.

"So," Mister Maugham said, "In a class of twenty, only two believe it's even possible. Blaine, I'll ask you first, why do you say love and not attraction?"

"It's more than that. I think if you had asked whether the class believed in attraction at first sight, there'd be a lot more hands up -- maybe a unanimous vote. People are designed to be attracted to each other. But love at first sight -- if it hasn't happened to you, you can't believe in it. You meet someone and want -- in that instant -- to be everything -- a better man, a friend, a companion." Blaine hoped he hadn't said too much.

"For you then, personal experience informs your view on their relationship." Mister Maugham said. "And you, Kurt, you also think it's possible?"

Blaine trusted that his sigh of relief wasn't audible.

"Yes, sir. Attraction is certainly part of it, but I agree with everything Blaine said -- only I would add that one of the things you want to be is," Kurt swallowed and finished, "a lover." He could only see the back of the Blaine's head, but he saw Blaine straighten at the word. Kurt continued, "Attraction alone is small. A crush can feel overwhelming while you're going through it. But while you might mistake a crush for love, I don't think it's possible to make the mistake in the other direction. In the play, though, I can believe Rosalind's emotions, but Orlando never recognizes her through her 'disguise.' Celia and Oliver might actually be the better example of the trope."

The discussion became more general after that, but Blaine was waiting to walk back with him after the scene rehearsals.

They slung their bags over opposite shoulders, and Blaine took his hand as they walked. He quietly said, "Did we admit something today?"

Kurt squeezed his hand. "Yes."

***  
The minimester homework was overwhelming that weekend. He and Blaine worked together in the library when Kurt wasn't meeting with his programming group. They hadn't really spoken in depth since the class discussion, but they were physically easier around each other. Kurt wasn't as closed off around Blaine, and Blaine was willing to let his hand linger on Kurt's shoulder or knee or hold his hand quietly while they read together.

 _Romeo and Juliet_ proved to be an interesting psychological insight into teenaged boys. Mister Maugham had been right that no one wanted to play Juliet.

The party scene in Act II was one they put on its feet in the classroom. Blaine was playing old Capulet and Kurt was reading Tybalt. Evan and Parker who'd been pulled from the jar to play Romeo and Juliet, respectively, were not happy, and Parker camped up Juliet with an affected high voice that drove Kurt crazy.

After the third time they'd tried, and failed, to get through the bit that included, "and palm to palm is holy palmer's kiss" without hysterical giggling, Mister Maugham called a break. Blaine and Kurt spoke together and went to their teacher.

When they came back after break, Mister Maugham changed the roles with Blaine playing Juliet and Kurt Romeo.

"I'd have asked the fairy to play Juliet."

Mister Maugham looked up and focused narrowly. "Detention for the next two Saturdays, Mister Robbins. Both Chaplain and the Headmaster will know why."

"Yes, sir," Harper Robbins said. As a day student, his parents would know immediately why he had to be at school at 8 a.m. on a Saturday. He winced -- two Saturdays.

Kurt and Blaine began the scene.

Both of them knew how to project, so they began the scene softly, letting their fellow students listen to them. Their awe was palpable when their hands touched.

Kurt turned up Blaine's chin and said, "'Let lips do as hands do,'" as he leaned in for their first kiss. Just the gentle touch of their lips together sent electricity up his spine. He resisted the temptation to do anything other than finish the scene, trusting that Mister Maugham wouldn't stop it before the line "Take me my sin again."

He didn't. And this time, Blaine, as Juliet, put his hand in Kurt's hair to hold him close. The kiss lasted only a few seconds longer -- long enough for Kurt to taste Blaine, to know the scent of his skin.

They broke before Mister Maugham could call cut, eyes locked on each other.

"I see, gentlemen," their teacher said gently. "You handled that very well."

There were no snickers from their audience.

Blaine quirked a smile, "Thank you, sir."

***  
Kurt waited for Blaine at the end of scene rehearsals. As they walked from the theater to their dorm, they fell into step, hands brushing. "Can we walk around the quad a couple of times?" Kurt asked. "I feel like I need some air."

"I'd like that."

About halfway through their second tie around, Kurt said, "Mister Maugham wants me to do one scene as Tybalt and one as Juliet."

"As long as I play Romeo."

"That's what I told him, but it's not the scene we did today or even the balcony scene. He wants me to do the speech that begins 'Gallop apace…'"

Blaine nodded. "One of the most passionate speeches Shakespeare ever wrote."

"I don’t think of myself as feminine."

"You're not. I don't know why elegance and grace are perceived as feminine, but that's what I see when I look at you. In a society that values crudeness, you're a wonderful alternative."

"Thank you. I like the speech, but with Harper saying what he did…"

Blaine shrugged. "I know. Two detentions during minimester is something he won't forget."

Kurt looked at him sharply. "He won't come after either of us?"

"No. You just saw a zero tolerance policy in action."

They fell into step again.

"I want to kiss you -- privately this time," Kurt said.

"I'm so glad."

"Will I see you after study hall?"

Blaine smiled. "I have an hour right now, too. Unless you'd rather walk some more?"

"I think kissing sounds much better. My roommate's gone until the end of minimester."

They left the door ajar, but rested on the bed behind it. They lightly stroked each other's faces, stealing little kisses, adjusting to each other's rhythm, eyes wide in wonder at the perfection of another's touch.

The next day, Kurt went to the front of the room and began, "Gallop apace ye fiery footed steeds…" infusing the speech with an innocent passion.

At the end of it, Mister Maugham called the break and suggested a couple of topics for the boys to discuss when they returned.

One of the boys stopped at Blaine's desk and whispered, "Damn, Blaine. You're a lucky man."

Blaine grinned, and immediately turned his gaze to Kurt. "I really am."

***  
The following Saturday, Kurt and Blaine signed out together early to go to a diner for breakfast. Their bags contained blankets, and they'd figured out a couple of places where they could be fairly certain no one would find them making out in the back seat.

On their way out to Kurt's car, they held hands and waved at Harper Robbins sitting in detention.


End file.
